


All's Fair in Love and War

by oywiththepeetaalready



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-06 19:52:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/739481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oywiththepeetaalready/pseuds/oywiththepeetaalready
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>PiP March 2013: Day 3. Madge didn't know what she had started when she forced Katniss into that dress before the fair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All's Fair in Love and War

“I swear to God this is so unnecessary!”

“Dammit Katniss, you will look cute for once in your life, if I have to wrestle you into this dress.”

“We are taking my sister to the fricking carnival. Why do I have to look cute?”

“Do you know how many college guys are going to actually be out and about tonight? We can actually associate with people who aren’t thirty years older or ten years younger.”

Katniss rolls her eyes and gives in, stepping into the sundress her friend was offering her. She has to admit, out of all the dresses Madge has, this is probably the least of all evils. The dress only goes to a little above her knee, but it has thick straps and a sweetheart neckline and the skirt is not nearly as form fitting as the one her friend is currently wrapped in. She has to admit that the burnt orange color looks decent on her darker skin and that Madge’s attempt of smoothing her unruly curls into waves works rather well. 

She blinks her grey eyes and cocks her head as she takes in her appearance. Madge let her keep her brown flat sandals on and didn’t force any makeup on her. She hears the zipper slide up the track on the dress and she spins slightly. Nine times out of ten, her girly side remains dormant, but for once, she is actually pleased with the results. 

She meets her friend’s gaze in the mirror and blushes. “Yes, I like it. Thanks, Madge.” Her friend returns the sentiment with a smile and quickly checks her reflection, fluffing her hair and cheekily smirking at herself. She grabs a small purse and takes Katniss’ hand.

“C’mon! Prim should be there in a few with the Hawthornes.” Katniss hides a smile at her friend’s excitement to hang out with a certain Hawthorne brother. She pulls her phone out of the small pocket she was ecstatic to find in the dress earlier and sends a text to Gale to inform him that they are on the way to meet him and the younger kids.

The two girls pile into Madge’s jeep and head over to the fair that has been set up on the edge of town. It’s a common occurrence and usually appears for the month of May every year. It has been here for a good two weeks and this was the first time the girls had been able to go, due to annoying end of the year exams and graduation. Both girls are in the mood to celebrate finishing high school and figure this is the way to do it.

In fact, this is the first time Katniss has seen Gale in about two months. He had left to go to the nearest community college that had on campus housing two years ago and had been loving every minute of it. This is a celebration for him as much as it is them. He has graduated with an associate’s degree and is giving himself a break for once. 

Katniss’ phone pings in her pocket and she smiles at the text from Gale. _Meet you at the archery booth. Care for a showdown?_ The jeep pulls into the gravel parking lot and the ladies hop out, straightening their dresses and meandering towards the entrance gate. As Madge hands over the money for their tickets, Katniss sees a tall, dark and familiar figure standing with a miniature of himself and a small blonde she knows to be her sister. 

The two get the entrance bands to put around their wrists and they make their way towards Gale. Katniss notices the blush that crosses Madge’s face and the smirk that has made its way onto Gale’s lips and she can’t help but smile. The two have been dancing around each other almost since they were in middle school.

Gale nods a greeting to the two and Katniss wraps her sister in a quick hug. The two catch up about the sixteen hours that have passed since they have seen each other and then are interrupted by Gale commenting, “How about Madge and I go with the munchkins here and find food and Katniss, you do a round at this booth before I get back and show you up?”

The real design behind this plot is evident, but Katniss chooses not to comment and instead just nods, heading over to the booth and eyeing it warily. They seem to have done a decent job on the set up this year, placing the booth on the edge of the fair so there is room for about ten yards between the booth and the target. When she steps up to the front of the booth, the attendant turns and faces her.

Suddenly, she has an eerie feeling that staying concentrated will take a lot more effort than she’d like. 

She is faced with a handsome guy around her age with the most amazing eyes she has seen in her entire life. His hair was blonde and wavy and his carnival uniform of jeans and a brightly colored polo (in his case, blue – she wonders if he knows what wonders that does for the color of his eyes) fits him snugly. She tears her eyes away from him and feels the embarrassment that is coming over her wane at the realization that he is staring at her too.

She smiles bashfully (Bashfully? Since when does she smile bashfully? Blame it on Madge’s dress) and attempts to meet the ridiculously blue eyes in front of her. The same smile covers his face and seeing that helps her regain her confidence. She turns the smile into a small smirk and leans on the counter that divides the inside of the booth from the rest of the fair. 

“Can I try a round?”

The unnamed blonde quickly shakes his head like a dog before nodding and handing over the bow appropriate for her size and impressing her slightly. She notches one of the arrows he gives her and lets it fly after a few seconds, hitting the bull’s-eye perfectly. She hears a low whistle of approval from the boy and chooses to ignore it, setting up another shot and it lands centimeters from the first one. 

This continues for the remaining three arrows, with only one not forcing its way into the center of the target. She lays the bow down on the counter and finally makes eye contact with the attendant. He doesn’t even try to hide his approval. 

“Damn. I’m impressed. I don’t think there has been one person who has been able to do that, especially wearing a dress like that.” 

She cocks an eyebrow. “I don’t think clothing should inhibit the skills if someone has the right ones.”

The blonde falters for a minute, stumbling over words and then just shakes his head. “How did you learn to do something like this?”

She doesn’t miss a beat. “I’d tell you but then I’d have to kill you.”

“I think I’ll be taking that statement seriously based off the damage I believe you could cause with that weapon of yours.”

“I am sure people say the same about you.” Shit. Does this dress just give her a new frigging personality?

His smile is blinding when she finally looks at him. “Usually I get a girl’s name before she hints at wielding my weapon.”

She snorts in laughter and says, “Does that line work on every girl who shoots a bull’s-eye?”

“You’re the only one who’s done it, darlin’.”

She tilts her head at the Southern accent she hadn’t detected previously. They definitely aren’t uncommon in their town in Virginia but usually most of the voices are mild.

“Fine. You shoot the target – not the bull’s-eye, just the target – and I will tell you my name.” 

He shoots her a wary look but nods in agreement. He grabs a bow and lets an arrow loose after a moment. He makes it on the very edge of the target and the look on his face turns immediately triumphant. 

She rolls her eyes and fights a smile. “Katniss.”

“Well, Katniss, clearly you are more skilled at this than me. Care to try again? I will make it worth your while.”

“Doubtful.”

“Do you eat?”

She glances at him, baffled. “Yes..”

“Get four bull’s-eyes out of the next five arrows and I will buy you dinner.”

“Momma always told me not to take food from boys I don’t know.”

“My name’s Peeta. My favorite color is orange, I am getting an art degree and I really want to take you to dinner.”

Katniss smiles and holds her hand out for the arrows. The happiness that crossed the beautiful boy’s is enough to make her want to hit the bull’s-eye each time. 

Five arrows shot, five arrows landed perfectly.

She passes the bow and smiles at him. 

“So, when do you get off work?”

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little drabble for PiP before I get back to work on A Twisted Fate. Hope you liked it!


End file.
